Curriculum Standard One: The students will explain the fundamental principles and moral values of American democracy as expressed in the U.S. Constitution and other essential documents of American democracy. *1. The students will analyze the influence of ancient Greek, Roman, English, and leading European political thinkers, such as John Locke, Charles-Louis Montesquieu, Niccolò Machiavelli, and William Blackstone on the development of American government. *2. The students will discuss the character of American democracy and its promise and perils as articulated by Alexis de Tocqueville. *3. The students will explain how the U.S. Constitution reflects a balance between the classical republican concern with promotion of the public good and the classical liberal concern with protecting individual rights; and discuss how the basic premises of liberal constitutionalism and democracy are joined in the Declaration of Independence as selfevident truths. A. Can the students explain why the framers created a government and a constitutional democracy? A. Can the students understand why America has a democracy and what it means for them? A. Can the students identify key constitutional principles? B. Can the students identify examples of the public good in the state? C. Can the students identify what individual rights need to be protected? The students will write a position paper taking the voice of a Federalist or an anti-federalist. The students will develop graphics explaining the key constitutional principles with quotes to enhance meaning. After reading and discussing the Constitution, the students will write a position essay on the first seven articles and will respond with the voice of either a Federalist or anti-federalist. The students will use the newspaper and current periodicals to document a living constitution by its effects on a citizen s daily life. The students will develop a portfolio identifying their rights in a democracy. 1
*4. The students will explain how the Founding Fathers realistic view of human nature led directly to the establishment of a constitutional system that limited the power of the governors and the governed as articulated in the Federalist Papers. *5. The students will describe the systems of separated and shared powers, the role of organized interests (Federalist Paper Number 10), checks and balances (Federalist Paper Number 51), the importance of an independent judiciary (Federalist Paper Number 78), enumerated powers, rule of law, federalism, and civilian control of the military. *6. The students will understand that the Bill of Rights limits the powers of the federal government and state governments. A. Can the students explain due process of law and the fourteenth amendment? B. Can the students identify the responsibilities of democratic citizens? A. Can the students analyze the role of the judicial branch? B. Can the students identify the purpose of the three branches of government? A. Can the students identify how the courts have interpreted the Bill of Rights? The students will read a recent court case and write an explanation of how it relates to the Bill of Rights. The students will create a poster on each Federalist paper. The students will provide examples of Implied Powers. The students will create a pamphlet for United States citizens outlining responsibilities by examining the role of a jurist, a voter in America, and an informed citizen. The students will create a flow chart showing the organization and workings of the state and federal court systems. 2
Curriculum Standard Two: The students will evaluate and take and defend positions on the scope and limits of rights and obligations as democratic citizens, the relationships among them, and how they are secured. *1. The students will discuss the meaning and importance of each of the rights guaranteed under the Bill of Rights and how each is secured (e.g., freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, petition, privacy). *2. The students will explain how economic rights are secured and their importance to the individual and to society (e.g., the right to acquire, use, transfer, and dispose of property; right to choose one s work; right to join or not join labor unions; copyright and patent). *3. The students will discuss the individual s legal obligations to obey the law, serve as a juror, and pay taxes. A. Can the students explain the purpose of the rule of law in American society? A. Can the students identify their economic role in society? A. Can the students identify three responsibilities of citizens in America? The students will create posters on each amendment. The students will design a Venn diagram explaining the importance of individual economic rights and society s rights and the third circle identifying the similarities between the individual and society. The students will read a local newspaper and identify samples of citizen duties at the state level and what is required. 3
*4. The students will understand the obligations of civic-mindedness, including voting, being informed on civic issues, volunteering and performing public service, and serving in the military or alternative service. 5. The students will describe the reciprocity between rights and obligations; that is, why enjoyment of one s rights entails respect for the rights of others. *6. The students will explain how one becomes a citizen of the United States, including the process of naturalization (e.g., literacy, language, and other requirements). A. Can the students reflect on what is necessary to be a civic-minded citizen? A. Can the students identify their rights and obligations in America? A. Can the students explain how a new immigrant to this country becomes a citizen? The students will write a brochure that could be distributed in their neighborhood on the importance of civic-mindedness and how people can be involved in their community. The students will write a short story on how individual rights conflict with the rights of the majority of citizens in America. The students will interview new citizens about their experiences and what they like about America. The students will write a model citizen essay. 4
Curriculum Standard Three: The students will evaluate and take and defend positions on what the fundamental values and principles of civil society are (i.e., the autonomous sphere of voluntary personal, social, and economic relations that are not part of government), their interdependence, and the meaning and importance of those values and principles for a free society. *1. The students will explain how civil society provides opportunities for individuals to associate for social, cultural, religious, economic, and political purposes. 2. The students will explain how civil society makes it possible for people, individually or in association with others, to bring their influence to bear on government in ways other than voting and elections. 3. The students will discuss the historical role of religion and religious diversity. A. Can the students identify the differences in authority at the various levels of government? A. Can the students identify the issues the federal government chooses to control or what it chooses to grant to the local governing bodies to be in charge of? A. Can the students discuss the reasons for religious freedom in the United States and how this result in religious diversity? The students will participate in a role play simulation on implementing federal block grants in city government. The students will write an essay on a controversial federal issue that continues to be bantered about by the national government and then passed on to the states or local governing bodies (i.e., welfare, health care, education). The students will complete an analysis of the different religions that exist in their community by conducting surveys interviewing community clergy, and sharing their findings with their peers. 4. The students will compare the relationship of government and civil society in constitutional democracies to the relationship of government and civil society in authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. A. Can the students analyze major issues that relate to the concept of federalism? 5 The students will participate in a mock court simulation relating to key amendments in the Bill of Rights.
Curriculum Standard Four: The students will analyze the unique roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government as established by the U.S. Constitution. *1. The students will discuss Article I of the Constitution as it relates to the legislative branch, including eligibility for office and lengths of terms of representatives and senators; election to office; the roles of the House and Senate in impeachment proceedings; the role of the vice president; the enumerated legislative powers; and the process by which a bill becomes a law. *2. The students will explain the process through which the Constitution can be amended. *3. The students will identify their current representatives in the legislative branch of the national government. A. Can the students identify how many members are in the House of Representatives and their role? A. Can the students identify how many amendments are in the constitution? A. Can the students name their California representatives? The students will design a story board on the many activities of a member of the House of Representatives in their states. The students will choose one of the 27 amendments and design a picture that clarifies the amendment. The students will examine the state of California, the number of representatives, and examine the reapportionment process in the state. 6
*4. The students will discuss Article II of the Constitution as it relates to the executive branch, including eligibility for office and length of term, election to and removal from office, the oath of office, and the enumerated executive powers. *5. The students will discuss Article III of the Constitution as it related to judicial power, including the length of terms of judges and the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. *6. The students will explain the processes of selection and confirmation of Supreme Court justices. A. Can the students explain how the president is selected? A. Can the students identify any of the judges on the Supreme Court? A. Can the students explain how judges are selected to the Supreme Court? The students will read about the electoral college and write an essay on the best way to choose the president. The students will compare the job of the nine Federal Supreme Court judges with other judges in the court system. The students will identify the process of selecting the next Supreme Court Chief Justice. 7
Curriculum Standard Five: The students will summarize landmark U.S. Supreme Court interpretations of the Constitution and its amendments. *1. The students will understand the changing interpretations of the Bill of Rights over time, including interpretations of the basic freedoms (religion, speech, press, petition, and assembly) articulated in the First Amendment and the due process and equal-protection-of-the-law clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. 2. The students will analyze judicial activism and judicial restraint and the effects of each policy over the decades (e.g., the Warren and Rehnquist courts). *3. The students will evaluate the effects of the Court s interpretations of the Constitution in Marbury v. Madison, McCulloch v. Maryland, and United States v. Nixon, with emphasis on the arguments espoused by each side in these cases. A. Can the students understand the many interpretations of the Bill of Rights and what equal protection of the law means regarding the fourteenth amendment? A. Can the students explain the difference between judicial activism and restraint? A. Can the students identify the purpose of each case? The students will participate in a simulation on due process, focusing on juvenile justice. The students will analyze important court cases decided by each Chief Justices reign (i.e., Warren and Rehnquist). The students will identify landmark cases made by the Supreme Court in the past 20 years. 8
*4. The students will explain the controversies that have resulted over changing interpretations of civil rights, including those in Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, Miranda v. Arizona, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena, and United States v. Virginia (VMI). A. Can the students identify three civil rights cases that effected the rights of American citizens? The students will develop a pamphlet on landmark civil rights cases to educate their peers about the results of these key legal decisions. 9
Curriculum Standard Six: The students will evaluate issues regarding campaigns for national, state, and local elective offices. *1. The students will analyze the origin, development, and role of political parties, noting those occasional periods in which there was only one major party or were more than two major parties. *2. The students will discuss the history of the nomination process for presidential candidates and the increasing importance of primaries in general elections. *3. The students will evaluate the roles of polls, campaign advertising, and the controversies over campaign funding. *4. The students will describe the means that citizens use to participate in the political process (e.g., voting, campaigning, lobbying, filing a legal challenge, demonstrating, petitioning, picketing, running for political office). A. Can the students explain the role of political parties in our society today? A. Can the students identify the history of the nomination process? A. Can the students identify national political issues? A. Can the students select specific tools that citizens use in the voting process? The students will create a timeline chart of the major political parties recognized since 1790 by identifying the two major parties. The students will identify the importance of voting in America. The students will complete a political questionnaire from the national or state election from a political candidate. The students will create an advertising campaign for a presidential candidate. 10
*5. The students will discuss the features of direct democracy in numerous states (e.g., the process of referendums, recall elections). *6. The students will analyze trends in voter turnout; the causes and effects of reapportionment and redistricting, with special attention to spatial districting and the rights of minorities; and the function of the Electoral College. A. Can the students identify four features of a direct democracy? A. Can the students analyze trends in voter turnout based on specific election districts? The students will research state initiatives in the past ten years, the vote count, and the author. The students will participate in a reapportionment activity focusing on the state after a recent census. The students will have a packet that will focus on party preference, income level, and population. 11
Curriculum Standard Seven: The students will analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments. *1. The students will explain how conflicts between levels of government and branches of government are resolved. *2. The students will identify the major responsibilities and sources of revenue for state and local governments. *3. The students will discuss reserved powers and concurrent powers of state governments. *4. The students will discuss the Ninth and Tenth Amendments and interpretations of the extent of the federal government s power. *5. The students will explain how public policy is formed, including the setting of the public agenda and implementation of it through regulations and executive orders. A. Can the students learn to resolve conflicts within the different branches of government? A. Can the students identify the responsibilities and sources of revenue by state government? A. Can the students discuss the reserved powers of the state government? A. Can the students identify their rights in the ninth and tenth amendments in the constitution? A. Can the students identify laws and how they are made? The students will learn to resolve differences using the art of compromise through negotiations, using a local issue. The students will create a local revenue source to fund education programs dedicated to education, state and local. The students will create a chart on government powers delegated, reserved, and concurrent. The students will focus on state powers in the area of the Bill of Rights in the state. The students will research a public policy paper at the state or national level. 12
*6. The students will compare the processes of lawmaking at each of the three levels of government, including the role of lobbying and the media. *7. The students will identify the organization and jurisdiction of federal, state, and local (e.g., California courts and the interrelationships among them). *8. The students will understand the scope of presidential power and decision making through examination of case studies, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, passage of Great Society legislation, War Powers Act, Gulf War, and Bosnia. A. Can the students identify how local, state, and national laws are made today and their effects? A. Can the students identify which courts deal with federal, state, and local laws and which courts handle these issues? A. Can the students recognize critical presidential decisions that affect the United State s foreign policy? The students will research a state law regarding getting a driver s license and drunk driving, and understand the process of law making. The students will research local ordinances and what is or is not allowed, such as noise control, pollution, a dilapidated house, working on a car, yard sales, and water meters. The students will research a presidential decision make and select three events in the last 20 years and write a report. 13
Curriculum Standard Eight: The students will evaluate and take and defend positions on the influence of the media on American political life. *1. The students will discuss the meaning and importance of a free and responsible press. *2. The students will describe the roles of broadcast, print, and electronic media, including the Internet, as means of communication in American politics. *3. The students will explain how public officials use the media to communicate with the citizenry and to shape public opinion. A. Can the students understand the importance of free press? A. Can the students understand all the roles of print and broadcast media and how it is transmitted to citizens? A. Can the students identify how public officials use media to transmit information to the citizens? The students will thoroughly understand the first amendment, focusing on freedom of press. The students will examine different newspapers, reporting on the executive branch. These may include The Sacramento Bee, The Chronicle, or The Wall Street Journal. The students will create their own broadcast news station and transmit their current events stories via a video tape or developing a paper. The students will be campaign leaders for a political leader, such as the President preparing advertisements for his/her re-election. 14
Curriculum Standard Nine: The students will analyze the origins, characteristics, and development of different political systems across time, with emphasis on the quest for political democracy, its advances, and its obstacles. 1. The students will explain how the different philosophies and structures of feudalism, mercantilism, socialism, fascism, communism, monarchies, parliamentary systems, and constitutional liberal democracies influence economic policies, social welfare policies, and human rights practices. *2. The students will compare the various ways in which power is distributed, shared, and limited in systems of shared powers and in parliamentary systems, including the influence and role of parliamentary leaders. *3. The students will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of federal, confederal, and unitary systems of government. A. Can the students explain how the different political philosophies influenced human rights practices? A. Can the students analyze how power is distributed, shared, and limited within countries? A. Can the students discuss the advantages and disadvantages of three government systems? The students will create a government booklet for younger students that define fascism, socialism, communism, and democracies to help them understand these different philosophies with country examples. The students will design a chart explaining the division of power within a parliamentary system of government. The students will write a comparison essay on federal, confederal, and unitary systems of government. 15
4. The students will describe, for at least two countries, the consequences of conditions that gave rise to tyrannies during certain periods (e.g., Italy, Japan, Haiti, Nigeria, Cambodia). 5. The students will identify the forms of illegitimate power that twentiethcentury African, Asian, and Latin American dictators used to gain and hold office and the conditions and interests that supported them. 6. The students will identify the ideologies, causes, stages, and outcomes of major Mexican, Central American, and South American revolutions in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A. Can the students identify reasons for tyrannies for two countries, such as Japan and Haiti? A. Can the students identify, in the past century, where dictatorships held power in Africa, Asia, and Latin America? A. Can the students discuss the causes and outcomes of revolutions in Central and South America? The students will write a comparison paper on two countries, such as Italy, Japan, Haiti, Nigeria, or Cambodia. The students will create a chart of government held by dictators in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The students will compare Central and South America dictators, reflecting on the causes and outcomes in a PowerPoint presentation. 7. The students will describe the ideologies that give rise to Communism, methods of maintaining control, and the movements to overthrow such governments in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland, including the roles of individuals (e.g., Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Pope John Paul II, Lech Walesa, Vaclav Havel). A. Can the students provide reasons for the rise of communism in Russia and Eastern Europe? 16 The students will identify historically which Eastern European countries adopted democracy or communism and explain why.
*8. The students will identify the successes of relatively new democracies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the ideas, leaders, and general societal conditions that have launched and sustained, or failed to sustain, them. A. Can the students identify the successes of new democracies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America? The students will compare a new democracy (i.e., Iraq) and recent democracies in Africa (i.e., South Africa), Asia (i.e., Taiwan), and El Salvadorian Latin America. The students will choose between a poster, a video, or a PowerPoint presentation to present their democratic stories. 17
Curriculum Standard Ten: The students will formulate questions about and defend their analyses of tensions within our constitutional democracy and the importance of maintaining a balance between the following concepts: majority rule and individual rights; liberty and equality; state and national authority in a federal system; civil disobedience and the rule of law; freedom of the press and the right to fair trial; the relationship of religion and government. *1. The students will formulate questions and defend a constitutional democracy. A. Can the students defend the specific rights within a democratic government? The students will write a research paper on a constitutional democracy. The following key points are to be included about a democracy: majority role, individual rights, liberty, equality, federal system, civil disobedience, rule of law, Amendment One, and the relationship of government and religion. 18
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